PF wins most seats in Zimbabwe parliament - ZEC

Zimbabwe's ruling party has won a majority of seats in Parliament, the electoral commission announced Wednesday, as the country braced for the first official results of the presidential election.

Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa reports from Harare.

This is the first vote in Zimbabwe since the fall of longtime leader Robert Mugabe.

Mugabe's 37-year rule ruined the country's economy and left it isolated on the worldwide stage, so authorities are hoping that a credible election could herald a new era for the country and bring back foreign investment and prosperity.

Zimbabwean president and leader of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) Emmerson Mnangagwa, one of the 23 candidates on the presidential ballot, blamed the opposition for inciting violence in order "to disrupt electoral process".

With the rise of reactions in the angry crowd, the security officials brought reinforcement with one police truck and several water cannon trucks kept a watchful eye but did not interfere.

Another member of the opposition, Eveson Matambanadzo, said: "The results we have are cooked if you compare the people who voted on the ground to the results that are there it doesn't tally".

"The longer it lasts that the results of the presidential election is not known, the more lack of credibility it provides", he said.

"We categorically denounce the excessive use of force against unarmed civilians", former Ghanaian president John Mahama said in a statement on behalf of the Commonwealth.

The violence appeared to dash the hopes of Zimbabweans that the peaceful vote would lift them out of decades of economic and political stagnation under Mugabe, but the country is haunted by a history of electoral violence and manipulation that means trust is scarce.

Chigumba, a high court judge, has flatly denied allegations of bias and strongly disputed accusations of rigging.

What are election observers saying?

"Rocks were thrown into the compound of the ruling ZANU-PF party".

"We have the necessary legal power and enough personnel to deal with unruly elements in our society and if people want to test our patience‚ then they will be very disappointed; very disappointed‚" he said.

Mugabe, 94, who ruled for almost four decades, voted in Harare alongside his wife Grace. Mr Mnangagwa was largely backed by traditional supporters of the Zanu-PF, including rural voters and the elderly who still believe the party has done a lot of good for the country of some 16 million people despite the excesses of Mr Mugabe's reign.

Mnangagwa, Mugabe's former right-hand man, was the clear election front-runner, benefitting from tacit military support and control of state resources.

But Chamisa, a lawyer and pastor, sought to tap into the youth and urban vote.

After burning tyres in the streets, scores of his supporters attacked riot police near the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) headquarters.

Whoever wins will face a mass unemployment crisis and an economy shattered by the Mugabe-era seizure of white-owned farms, the collapse of agriculture, hyperinflation and an exodus of investment.

Recommended:

North Korea has carried out a total of six nuclear tests, the most recent of which took place in September a year ago . South Korea's TV Chosun reported Tuesday Seoul's joint chiefs of staff are "closely monitoring the situation".

Still, some GOP lawmakers said they would draw the line at impeachment. "There is absolutely no basis to impeach Rod Rosenstein". Meadows heads the conservative Freedom Caucus and has sparred with Ryan on issues such as immigration and federal spending.

Putin said on Friday that he has already invited Trump to Moscow, and that he is "ready to come to Washington" to meet with Trump. Putin said Friday, "I understand very well what President Trump said: He has the wish to conduct further meetings".

Bush White House, probably in the hopes of finding incriminating information that could derail his Supreme Court nomination. Paul cited concerns over "privacy" and "the Fourth Amendment" as being the basis for hesitating to back Kavanaugh.

In March - just three months before releasing " Sober " - Lovato revealed that she had celebrated six years of sobriety. Former Fifth Harmony member Camilla Cabello tweeted: "You're in my thoughts @ ddlovato , sending you love".

State Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in the area as firefighters work to contain the flames. The tragic result of this explosion was the death of a bulldozer operator who was battling the blaze.

American stock markets jumped in their last half-hour of trading in response to reports of a US-EU agreement. After Trump hit China with tariffs, they responded with a 179 percent retaliatory tariff on USA sorghum.

Four players tied for second at 6 under, including American Xander Schauffele , who played in the final group with Jordan Spieth . It was Woods' best showing in a major championship since his fourth-place finish at the 2013 Masters in the United States .

Fire officials warned that the blaze would probably burn deeper into urban areas before there was any hope of containing it. More than 3,000 fire personnel are battling the flames with more than 300 engines and 17 helicopters, Cal Fire reported.

She was administered Narcan, a well-known antidote for opioid overdose, and that might've been what saved her life. According to USA publication TMZ , medics responded to an incident at her home in the Hollywood Hills.

As many as 80 people have been reported dead in Greece as a result of the wildfires, with another 200 believed injured. Video footage showed people fleeing by vehicle as the tourist-friendly Attica region declared a state of emergency.

Leonard passes physical with Raptors, report says
Leonard, who missed nearly all of last season with a quad injury, reportedly passed his physical, and is Toronto-bound. He is a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and the 2014 NBA Finals MVP. "I don't know how you can hate him".